SUNY Downstate Medical Center said it would expand its search for a new operator for the hospital, working with the state on creating a plan to make the entire SUNY Downstate Medical Center–which also includes a medical school and two other Brooklyn hospitals–sustainable. Downstate President John Williams said in a statement that “current legal proceedings prohibit this dialogue.”

After that, they had to submit a closure plan to the state Department of Health for approval, but unions and other community groups launched a series of legal challenges that delayed them from submitting the closure plan for weeks.

It’s rare for hospitals to reverse course at this stage of the process, but unions were also successful at marshaling political support for their cause.

On Thursday, the City Council passed a resolution calling on SUNY and the State Department of Health to find another operator for LICH.

“This victory proves the grassroots strength we have when we unite for quality health care, and we will continue to work hard to ensure LICH remains open and thriving for generations to come,” said George Gresham, President of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East